text:
Write Review
My Account
Manage Account
Compare Auto Insurance Companies
Geico Corporation
Geico Corporation Auto Insurance
out of
Reviews & Complaints
Most Popular
More Options >
More filter options:
Customer Service
Company Policy
Share this page [+]
Beware of the GEICO auto insurance trap!
Posted by Garden on 11/14/2006
We originally signed up with GEICO for auto insurance six years ago because their policy price was the most reasonable. With each year's renewal, however, the price escalated until we felt it was ridiculous. I called the company that we use for our home owner's insurance and asked for a quote. I was shocked when the agent called me back to tell me that he couldn't give us a quote because our CLUE report score was so bad. I didn't know what a CLUE report was, but I found out fast. A company called Choice Point keeps a claim history on people that they release to insurance companies. The history may include any call made to an insurance company regarding loss, EVEN IF THE INSURANCE COMPANY DIDN'T HAVE TO PAY A DIME!
I called Geico and asked them to fax me a copy of the claims against us. Geico had reported four accidents against us that weren't our fault and for which they didn't pay any money--my car was hit in the rear twice and was hit while it was parked in a supermarket parking lot (fortunately, there was a witness); my husband's car was hit by someone who didn't have the right-of-way. Geico also reported a one-time emergency road service call against us (we paid for the service in our policy) and a one-time glass breakage against us (a small pit where the windshield was hit by a stone was repaired). With the exception of the glass breakage and the one-time emergency road service, Geico didn't pay any claims for us, yet GEICO REPORTED WHATEVER IT COULD TO PUT IN OUR CLUE REPORT TO RAISE OUR SCORE SO NO OTHER INSURANCE COMPANY WOULD WANT TO UNDERWRITE A POLICY ON US. When I called Geico to try to discuss the so-called "claims" against us, a snippy woman told me that they did not discuss these "claims," that they were for the use of the insurance company only.
Insurance agents have to pay for CLUE reports, so what most of them do is call to get people's scores. If the score is high, they don't bother getting the report; they don't want to insure you. After I found out what Geico had done, I called our insurance agent back and told him that I'd pay for the CLUE report. I think he was embarrassed, so he got it and called me back later with a quote--almost $500 less than what Geico was charging us.
Someone from Geico called to remind us to send our payment in for renewal. When I said we weren't using Geico anymore, the woman offered to give us a better rate by removing some of our "accidents." If nothing else, the people at Geico have real gall.
I wouldn't be surprised if some other insurance companies have the same dirty practices as Geico. We had an expensive, aggravating lesson.
Was this review helpful?
Read 15 Replies
Add reply
Review Link:
User Replies:
Close comments
Posted by GRANNYLKM on 2006-11-14:
Very interesting! Never heard of CLUE reports before!
Posted by glc on 2006-11-14:
Garden: EVERY carrier uses CLUE reports..and all claims are reported, negligible or not.
Posted by DreyNikHaze on 2007-01-06:
I don't like Geico, I never have, they screwed my husband and I over very badly and I will never go back to them, and make sure that my friends and family never sign up with them. Great letter by the way!!
Posted by truckin21 on 2007-01-28:
When I signed up with Geico 2yrs ago I had a clean driving record--no tickets, no accidents, no claims period. My premiums were always paid in full when they were due (every six months). When I received my recent renewal I noticed it had increased. When I called and asked why the increase, I was told: "Even though you have had no claims our claims for your area has increased, therefore we must increase the premiums." Fine, increase it fon the ones that actually COST you money, don't increase the ones that SAVE you money. She said she was sorry, there was nothing she could do. I told her: "Well there is something I can do. Geico will no longer be allowed to insure my car." I immediatley called AIG. I now have a policy that INCLUDES free road side service, Free 100% glass replacement, plus a Free transportation Continuance that pays me 30.00 @day up to a maximum of $900.00 if an accident delays me for any reason. All this for $150.00 LESS MONEY. Do your self a favor; Call AIG, or go to their web site: AIG Auto and get a quote, I garuantee you will save money. As for this CLUE thing, I have been dealing with insurance companies for well over 50 yrs. and this is the first time I have ever heard of such a thing.
Posted by Bababooey on 2007-01-29:
I was a longtime customer of AIG until my rates went up dramatically because I moved to a more urbanized area. Out of curiousity, I called GEICO for a quote, and I discovered that I could save almost $400 by switching from AIG to GEICO. Needless to say, I switched, and after 4 years with GEICO, I haven't had any problems (but I haven't had any tickets or accidents either).
Posted by Aember24 on 2007-02-15:
CLUE has been around for a long time and is used by most if not all insurnace companies. As far as the increase in territories regardless of claims history....that increase is taken by all insurance companies, not just one. And yes sadly it affects everyone. Even good drivers. This isnt done to rip you off or so the insurance companies can be bullies. But when there is a decrease in territory, no one complains? You guys have to realize that some things arent done to rip you off or because insurance companies are big meanies? If you really think there is an issue contact the insurance commisioner in your state and report it. That is the quickest and best way to resolve problems when it comes to insurance.
Posted by geicoreallysucks on 2007-09-04:
Please post your comments about the CLUE report on www.GeicoBlows.com. I am sure the people there would like hear about it too. Thanks.
Posted by jktshff1 on 2007-09-04:
Good post, thanks for the information.
Posted by voice1 on 2008-02-09:
It never ceases to amaze me how uninformed the general public is about insurance..... something we all are forced to buy.
All insurance companies run clue reports and most reputable companies report all claims (negligent or non-negligent). How else can an insurance company determine what kind of risk someone will be without this info? It isn't an exact science but it is the best info available.
Would you go into business telling someone for a small fee you are gonna promise to fix their property and any property they damage and pay for any injuries they cause without knowing something about their driving history and the driving history of anyone who drives their car? If you would ... good luck!
Would you charge an 18 year old with multiple accidents and tickets who lives in downtown Miami the same rate that you charge a 45 year old with a perfect record who lives 15 miles from the nearest small town?
Don't think just because all your accidents are not your fault that they aren't considered. In the world of insurance fraud (which is a big reason your rates are so high) most of those claims look to be not at fault at first glance. Multiple not at fault claims will make an insurance company raise an eyebrow sometimes faster than one at fault claim.
There are lots of people out there who need to get a "clue"... no pun intended.
Posted by garden on 2008-02-10:
What voice1 needs to do is re-read the original post that I wrote on Geico. Geico added every call that we made to them--CALLS FOR WHICH THERE WERE NO CLAIMS--to our Clue report, making it look like we had made a lot of claims, which we didn't. It's their practice, and it's outrageous! I said it before and I'll say it again--beware of Geico. Also, no matter what company you use for auto insurance, make sure you find out EXACTLY what they report on the Clue Report. If you don't, it could cost you plenty. Again, I hope this helps others.
Posted by spdwoody on 2010-09-28:
Great Post !!! Similar happened here in Mass. I had Progressive for 1 year. Renewal time the cost goes up 400 bucks- Good by Progressive
Now I just recently got Geico at what I was paying progressive.
So when thats up ther gonna raise my rates listening to you folks, So Ill get ready to cancel
Posted by Tracy CA on 2012-03-28:
Get a C.L.U.E. people. You had better find out what is in that report... Mine had five(5) claims listed out of 8 listed that DID NOT belong to me.
Dollarwise the 5 claims were for over $40,000 which I am sure MetLife incorporated into my premium payment. Get a C.L.U.E. people.
Just google LexisNexis to obtain one.
Posted by Ann on 2013-05-04:
GEICO is the best. I had another company for nearly 20 years, but the rates kept going higher and higher. I made the switch to GEICO and pay $600 less per year than I was paying with the other company. The customer service and claims service is unbeatable and they are open 24/7 and even on holidays. I will never switch from GEICO. As someone who has been using auto insurance for 45 years, GEICO is fantastic. Give them a call and find out for yourself.
Posted by po guy on 2013-05-23:
Gieco sucks, they don't try to take care of u if u have a claim, they alway look 4 a way not to pay no matter how clear cut it is...jus like most places,just wnt ur money..no good:(
Posted by Olga on 2013-06-28:
My son was insured by Geico, they failed to notify him when the renewal was due was not sent a reminder nor was he sent the cancellation notice, when he called, he was told that he has not been insured for six months, he did not know and in order for him to be insured the premium increased by $200.00, go figure, stay away from Geico. I would not sign up with them even is they insured me free.
Close comments
Add reply
Almost 100% Penalty
Posted by Msaelmoa2 on 03/19/2004
ANCHORAGE, ALASKA -- I have been insured by GEICO for a total of about 18 years. During that timeframe I myself have never had a ticket or an accident, and used their road service once. However, while driving our car, my spouse slid on black ice and hit a guard rail. There was no bodily injuries to anyone, the car although needed major bodywork. As a result, our premium went from $423 every 6 months to over $600 a month.
Now to the good stuffs...Today I received a letter stating that my insurance has been canceled for non-payment (last installment of 4).
I have been using a Bill Pay Service and schedule my payments ahead of time when I am out-of-town. I checked with my bank, and found that the payment had not been debited yet ....Called GEICO, explained the situation, that I had been away and were unable to check my mail until today. The agent was very helpful, seemed to understand my predicament and offered to reinstate the policy, but before that could happen, I needed to pay $6.52 left-over from the old policy. That was fine with me, I paid over the phone using my Debit card. She then place me on hold for about 20 minutes while she figured out what the new policy would cost me (since it needed to be re-newed this month anyway-6 months were up)and came back with a quote of $1,108 for 6 months, an increase of over $500.00.
When I recovered from the shock, I asked what caused this increase, I was told because of the lapse in time (which I was not aware of until today). I again asked what can be done about this and was told to just raise my deductibles to bring the cost down! At this point I request to speak to a supervisor, who sounded more like a prison guard then a Costumer Representative (please if anyone out their is a Prison Guard, my utmost respect)and was told that there is nothing that can be done about this situation, I either get the insurance today or take a chance driving without...with my luck I would get stopped or have an accident.
Since it was pointless trying to explain, I buckled down and paid my first installment of $283 just so I can be covered over the weekend, and allow me to find another Insurance company...even if they will charge me the same amount.....
P.S. I am also over 55 and a Disabled Veteran, just trying to make a living...
Was this review helpful?
Read 30 Replies
Add reply
Review Link:
User Replies:
Close comments
Posted by sanford31031 on 2004-03-20:
I work with insurance and can tell you never to use Bill Pay......why in the world would you leave it to a bank to make your insurance payment? I talk to people everyday who have your same problem and want to blame their insurance co. for the misfortune their bank caused. Secondly, you were driving without insurance which is illegal....and I know GEICO sent you a cancellation notice advising you of the cancellation date....which GEICO is required to do. All insurance rates go up after an at fault accident unless Accident Forgiveness applies in your state....and I am assuming that in your first paragraph you meant to say that your insurance went from $423 per 6 mos to $600 and not $600 per month. Your initial increase came from losing all your good driver discounts.....
Posted by msaelmoa2 on 2004-03-20:
I appreciate your comments and yes I agree, that driving without insurance is illegal. However, the vehicles were not driven during that time (we were out of state for over 30 days. As soon as I can, I will visit a GEICO office and request to see how they calculate penalties. The insurance was cancelled on March 3, the penalty assessed for 14 days is more than had I been found guilty of DWI and unjured or killed someone. As to using a Bill Pay service, it better than using snail mail and I have never had a problem in over 3 years, until now.
Posted by bug221966 on 2004-03-20:
I'm an insurance broker from NY and first of all the insured is responsible for making payments not a bill pay service if they screwed up it's on your head...I'm not sure what the insurance laws of AK are but in NY a bill goes out with a due date if the payment isn't received by the due date a cancel notice goes out giving the insured 14 days to pay if the payment is not received the policy is cancelled. What you should have done was asked them to reinstate with a lapse and offered to sign a "no-loss". A "no-loss" is a statement by the insured basically saying that they won't put an claims in for the time the policy was cancelled. Sometimes the company does't want to do that because they are trying to cancel policies and rewrite them at the newer more accurate programs and rates. If the "no-loss" is nmot an option..suck it up, stick with GEICO for 6 months and start shopping around 1 month before your policy ends. Use and independent agent, and sign up for the company's EFT service, that way it's the company's responsibility to take their payment..I guarantee they won't screw that up.
Posted by sanford31031 on 2004-03-20:
You need to call back to GEICO and speak with another supervisor.....request a manager as well, if you think your case merits taking another look at....there are a lot of deciding underwriting factors that go into a rate...
Posted by Anonymous on 2004-03-20:
Yet another person who doesn't pay his bill & then gets all up in arms when he is cut off. What else did you expect to happen? Businesses are there to make money, not provide FREE service to deadbeats. Bottom line: PAY YOUR BILL!
Posted by msaelmoa2 on 2004-03-20:
Many Thanks to Sanford31031 and BUg221966. I will have to wait until Monday to make any more contacts. Since this has happened to me, I have done some research on GEICO and found that a lot complaints are out there; I have always thought that GEICO was the best deal...not anymore! For the rest of of you, who just want to spout nastiness out...be ashamed! Not veryone is a deadbeat, but than again...it takes one to know one.
Posted by sanford31031 on 2004-03-20:
Insurance is a touchy topic.....1. You pay your premiums and feel like you get nothing in return 2. Rate increases are inevitable...even for those with spotless records 3. Insurance is regulated by each individual state... All states are now cracking down on uninsured motorists...stiffer penalties are being put in place for all those who have lapses in their coverage...Any insurance company that you call will give you a much higher rate if there has been a lapse in coverage...each individual case is different...I believe I can help you further...email me at email@example.com ...
Posted by Anonymous on 2004-03-23:
i dont use insurance..its for suckers..
Posted by dvsmadcow on 2004-03-23:
like sanford, i too am an insurance agent...i'm with geico (i think that sanford is too, not sure though) and i just wanted to reinforce what both sanford and bug had told ya...i'll make sure that even lwrhps can understand what's going on here. just so you know, i'm not just coming in here to spout off useless info (UNLIKE OTHERS (lwrhps), i've been with geico for nearly 4 1/2 years as a licensed agent and so i'm not serving up any b.s here. here's what you have to look at: 1. as sanford advised you, the rate hike you noticed first noticed came as a result of the accident your wife had. i know how to read, i saw that you said you yourself haven't had any tickets or accidents; unfortunately, under your car insurance contract that you and your wife have with geico both of you are one person. this basically means that whatever one person has on the mvr, the both of you do (in your case, your wife's accident affects both of you) 2. i have to echo bug's advice for you. geico does have eft and i know that we offer it (i'm a service agent and that's one of my favorite things to advise my policyholders of) and no, we wouldn't screw that up for you. We would make sure that the correct payments were made each time you had a payment due and the monthly payments would even get reduced by $3. check into it. GET AWAY FROM THE BILL PAY SERVICE!!! as you can see, they are useless and you suffer because the bill wasn't paid. Again, I will have to echo the sentiments of sanford, you ultimately hold the responsibility to be certain that the bill is paid on time. if the payment isn't received, then you have to make sure that it gets done. 3. that lapse of insurance, you stated was more than 30 days...how many days over 30? this is a touchy subject with me, personally. i believe that due to your tenure, and depending on how many days over 30 we're talking about, you should be reinstated to the $600 rate. Sorry, but that accident that your wife had will follow the two of you for the next three years. Check with a supervisor/manager and let them look at it again, depending on the length of the lapse, you could have a valid case on getting a reduced rate. if the supervisor/manager deems the lapse as excessive, then your rate will stay at the $1000+ rate for now. 4. Here is where i have to respectfully disagree with bug...DON'T go shopping for other insurance right now or at your renewal. if we don't drop your rate back to the $600 rate that you were quoted, just suck it up for six months because i know as a fact that our underwriters would look at your policy for any type of reductions that they could find and you could even make a case for getting back around the rates that you were quoted after the accident. shopping around won't be much prettier for two reasons: 1. you have your wife's accident that will have to be rated for and 2. you will have to provide proof of six months continuous coverage (some companies require 12 months proof) and at this time, you wouldn't be able to provide that proof. I know that it was an honest mistake...you don't seem to be like some of the people that i deal with daily that try to get over, but i will say that shopping won't help you. to lwrhps and the other person: if you have nothing intelligent to add to this discussion, please don't waste our time or the space on this post to put your crap. i hope this helps you to see what happened and to give you the light at the end of the tunnel with geico. best of luck.
Posted by msaelmoa2 on 2004-03-24:
Thank you dvsmadcow (3/23/04) for the advise. Just a couple of corrections:
1. The insurance was cancelled on March 3rd, I found out on March 19th, no coverage for 15 days.
2. GEICO issued a new policy, instead of re-instating me at a rate of over $1,100 for six months vs. $632, and I paid $283 already down just not to be without insurance over the weekend....
3. Prior to the accident, the rate was $400+ for one car, after accident we got the Subaru and paid $632 for 6 months for both cars.
Trying to make a living, I haven't been able to go to the GEICo's office to speak to someone, but will do tommorrow.
...And it wasn't my wife that had the accident...it was my husband....there are disabled WOMEN VETERANS....
Thank you for all the good advice. I will keep everyone posted on what the outcome will be.
Posted by dvsmadcow on 2004-03-24:
sorry, i guess i didn't read the post as carefully as i should have....yes, i know that there are disabled women veterens! Call geico asap...longer you wait, the harder it will be to make your case. keep us posted.
Posted by jodieu on 2004-03-30:
Yes , I work at GEICO ( and I'm also sanford as well)..
Posted by dvsmadcow on 2004-03-31:
agree or disagree sanford (jodieu)?
Posted by sanford31031 on 2004-04-02:
Yes I definitely agree, she needs to call GEICO asap...the longer she waits, the less of a chance they will reverse their decision.
Posted by msaelmoa2 on 2004-04-05:
Quick Update...I contact other insurance companies and was given a much lower rate, although higher than GEICO. I feel as a new costumer that would be allright. As of today I have not switched. I again spoke to a GEICO Rep who told me that I am no longer in a "Preferred" category, and that's why my policy has doubled. I requested to speak to a manager, but was told they wouldn't tell me anything different and to leave a number for them to call back. Haven't heard from anyone...(Called on 03/31/04). Of course I must let you know that this conversation took aboout 70 min, with being put on hold etc. Time has gone by, and now the 2nd installment is almost due...I just an afford $265 a month for the next 11 month...
Posted by sanford31031 on 2004-04-13:
Were the other insurance companies higher or lower that GEICO, you said a lower premium but higher than GEICO?
Posted by dj on 2004-04-13:
In response to dvsmadcow "geico does have eft and i know that we offer it (i'm a service agent and that's one of my favorite things to advise my policyholders of) and no, we wouldn't screw that up for you. We would make sure that the correct payments were made each time you had a payment due and the monthly payments would even get reduced by $3. check into it."
In my 1st week with Geico, they double debited my account costing me (single mom of 2) $337.50. It took over 1 month to receive the money back, they tried to charge me when it was sent UPS and now I cancelled the policy on 4/3/04 but suprise, they don't show it. Guess they want to keep more of my money.
Posted by sanford31031 on 2004-04-14:
dj, EFT does not apply to you, the sales agent probably accidently submitted the payment twice causing your overdraft. EFT is a monthly debit after you have signed paperwork telling us you WANT us to debit your account on the due date without notification.
Posted by dvsmadcow on 2004-04-15:
legally, we (the agents) can't sign you up for eft. as sanford informed you, to get enrolled in the eft, you have to either sign an authorization (on the bill stub) or go online thru the website (where you have a password that is established by you!) EFT doesn't get messed up, so what I posted here was true! This isn't to say that we agents don't make mistakes. You said that you sent the info in, as sanford advised you to, this will clear everything up for ya! in sanford's response to me on the original complaint you did, sanford advised you that part of the hold up is due to our accounts receivable dept needing to make sure that the funds clear. hope this helps!
Posted by msaelmoa2 on 2004-04-28:
Quick update....Found another insurance agency and I am now no longer a costumer of GEICO. The day that I called GEICO to cancel..the person answering the phone was sooooooooo appologetic and ask if I would wait to talk to another agent/manager etc. to review my case. My reply: "No Thanks GEICO was given enough time to review, return my calls, just send me my refund and HAVE A NICE DAY!" My new insurance is over $300 less for a 6-month premium, and will drop another 25% after the first year. Once I renew my DCC it'll go even lower. GEICO>>>>>>GOOD RIDDANCE!!!
P.S. Thanks to all those that have provided their advise and comments.
Posted by PeskyKittyButt on 2004-07-08:
OK, your policy canceled & you think it's everybody's fault but yours?
Posted by sanford31031 on 2004-07-13:
That's how it normally works Kitty :)....You would never believe the lines of crap people try to feed me on why their insurance canceled....My mom died ( 4th time in a year), I was on vacation, ( my fave b/c people think the world stops when they are out of town), and don't let me forget, I didn't get a bill, (the most popular one).
Posted by msaelmoa2 on 2004-08-05:
Just out of curiosity, check the board today and found rather snippy remarks from some of you regulars. Seems that those who urged me to keep trying to negotiate with GEICO are actually employees of GEICO and hated to loose a costumer to another company. It's been now awhile since I dropped GEICO....needless to say I am very happy with my new insurance company. Get a life you sour pusses.
Posted by sanford31031 on 2004-08-06:
Who's a sour puss? Everyone on here is entitled to their opinion, including you. Just wondered why you felt the need to call people sour puss? Ever heard the term curiosity killed the cat?
Posted by sanford31031 on 2004-08-06:
The whole reason I come on here is to help people with any insurance related questions and I thought I made it perfectly clear that I work for GEICO. Losing customers is part of the job and it happens. I think if people actually knew what they were paying for and could comprehend insurance, people wouldn't be so asinine.
Posted by Panglee82 on 2004-08-23:
msael...2 where did you find insurance for cheaper, same thing happened to me with Geico. I am furious, yes its my fault I missed a payment, but everyone overlooks something once in a while. No one is perfect.
Posted by sanford31031 on 2004-08-24:
The most important thing right now for you Pang, is to get some insurance and quick! A lapse in coverage results in a much higher premium. If a policy cancels, then Geico will re- underwrite for any additional activity, etc. This may place you into a higher bracket, especially if any new convictions were found.
Posted by Tampaguy on 2008-09-30:
They are scammy scumbags by their ads alone. They patronize people with their juvenile, tasteless ads. I do not understand why a company would over saturate itself by annoying the hell out of people. Car accidents are not funny. Injecting humor into insurance ads is as tasteless as it gets. I do not use Allstate becuase its expensive . I would use them if they had a good price because at least their ads are somber, direct and most importantly tasteful the way insurance ads should be.
Posted by cb02914 on 2013-04-08:
All i keep hearing and seeing is "Stay away from Geico!" My experience with them honestly They do not provide any sufficient customer service and instead of helping and creating a better service for their customers, they prefer to send cancellation letters after you've spoken with an Representative. If we chose Geico out of the few auto insurance companies it is because we thought GEICO was best at what they do and it is not the same. One accident out of 8 years with the company and out of nowhere cancelled!
How exactly does the Accident-Forgivness Policy work?
Does it apply to you after 3 years with GEICO?
What's your phone number? So GEICO policyholders can contact you when we have the problem.
Posted by geico go away on 2013-06-22:
My experience with GEICO was just plain bad! Same as all the other posts. The GEICO reps that post on this site are blowing smoke in the face of anyone who was ever canceled or rate raped by GEICO. Please spend less time posting and more time focusing on the customers that pay your salaries. I found another company. I suggest that this is the best solution so that GEICO will go away.
Close comments
Add reply
Lightning Struck my Car. Geico balks at repairs
Posted by ChadK on 05/18/2005
CENTRAL, IOWA -- Full story: http://aviary.info/cardamage
July 8th, 2004
Here's the "story"
There was quite an impressive display of thunder and lightning this morning as a formidable thunderstorm swept through the area. Our power was out for some time and during all of the commotion, I had to get ready to go to work.
It was an uneventful trip until about 5:15 am. I was startled to say the least when my ears were assaulted by one of the loudest cracks and booms of thunder I'd ever heard. Part of the whole effect though, and perhaps the more important effect was the bright white flash. My whole world turned into a loud white flash.
As soon as the light faded, my car started honking at random, the driver's side power seat went all the way down and reclined into the back seat and of course, my car stopped running and I coasted to the shoulder on the side of the road.
Not good. Car won't start. I did manage to get it to stop playing random settings on my dirver's side chair by removing and replacing the power from the battery but that didn't do anything to bring back my computer monitor that usually tells me my MPG, time, temp and such. It's just showing lines and dashes. So, I've just lost a good car... got a spare? :)
April, 2005
It.s important to note that Midstates Ford in Waukee, IA diagnosed several problems as .old age. so now Geico isn.t going to cover those repairs. These are: Cooling fan module/regulator, light amplifier (for automatic headlights). A new problem has been found since the temp has started rising in the area. The air conditioning pump doesn't work when you turn on the air. The little clutch that should lock so the belt turns the pump doesn't lock. Of course, I can't afford another $250 for Midstates Ford to tell me it's also OLD AGE. (they charged me $266 to diagnose the lights and cooling) Midstates described the problem with the light amplifier as a burnt out resistor. WELL that certainly sounds like an electrical surge issue to me. Evidently not.
I.m mad at Geico for not protecting my investment, which is why I purchased the insurance to begin with and I.m very angry at Midstates for handling the issue with a startling amount of incompetence. They didn.t even know how to get the claim to Geico! They wanted me to pay for the repairs then get reimbursed myself.
I haven't had a chance to contact Geico yet about the body damage. Likely they're going to ask why I didn't notice before. Well, I haven't been able to DRIVE THE CAR is why. It was struck almost a YEAR ago (July 2004) and I've JUST NOW gotten it to a point where it's at least drivable as long as I don't go too slow or stop while it's running because it'll over heat. Yah, this is why we have full coverage insurance huh people?
On the photo pages, you'll see pics of my back window. I tried cleaning that off, scraping it off, it doesn't come off. It's part of the window now. I bet money Geico's going to deny it.
So I.ve had the car towed to R&D in Stuart, IA, they towed it to Mid-states ford in Waukee, IA who then had the vehicle in their shop on several different occasions.
April, 2005
The last time I took it to them I gave them this paper as well:
ATTN: Midstates Ford
After getting my car back from Midstates Ford the transmission had begun to fail so I parked the car for a little over a month. I finally sent it to Mitchel Transmission in downtown DM to have the transmission rebuilt. Since getting the car back from them there are the following lingering issues which I think are from the original lightning damage:
Headlights: At first they would shut off when the car was turned off or after the delay setting but the parking lights would remain lit. Now, the headlights just stay on all the time regardless of the auto-lamp settings and delay settings. Midstates reply: Old Age caused the resistor to burst
Alarm: Horn/alarm goes off at random after exiting the vehicle. No combination of locking, keys, keypad, etc prevents it. Midstates reply: That I have an aftermarket alarm installed, which I don.t.
Cilmate Control: Likes to switch itself into a manual fan speed mode out of Automatic periodically and without warning. It has done this 2-3 times an hour. I thought it was just overly sensitive and was switching over bumps but it.s done it on smooth roads as well and once while parked. Midstates reply: Can.t diagnose because the cooling fan isn.t working so they didn.t want to drive it. . Explain to me then why I dropped it off with almost a full tank and pick it up with under a quarter?
Electric cooling fan: This doesn.t seem to be working at all. The car has overheated 3 times. I am pretty sure I.ve now completely messed up the anti-freeze mixture ratio. Midstates reply: Old age
All of these issues have been present since I have been driving the car. I didn.t really notice any of them when I drove it back from Midstates the first time due to the fact that the transmission was shot so I disconnected the battery and parked it for over a month.
Last time the car was in to get the climate control replaced the trim around the climate control was broken and is now loose so please be careful this time when removing parts from the car. Midstates reply: None
I.d also like it if you could get the air filter cover bolts replaced. I know this isn.t something you can submit to the insurance company but if you could give me an estimate of what you.d charge to get those stripped bolts off and replaced I think I.d rather just pay you to do it than try and work it out myself. Midstates reply: None
I have another Mark VIII that I can grab parts from to use on my car so if you can tell me the name of the piece that.s causing the anti-lock brake issues I could swap with the parts car and have mine working again hopefully. I might have to swap the new part you installed with the used part from the parts car but either way, I should be able to get ABS working again myself if I knew what the two parts were that were having trouble. Midstates reply: None
April, 2005
In addition to what's listed, I just noticed that the AC doesn't work either. Never had the car when it was warm enough out to notice. It worked before the lightning but doesn't work now. Come to think of it, since it was raining the morning I was struck, odds are great that the AC was on at the time. They claim the following things went bad as of old age. I claim it was bad due to the lightning. I had less than 300 miles on the car from the time I got it back from the tranny shop till the time I dropped it off at Midstates Ford.
May, 2005
Here's the latest email I sent to Mid-states ford 5/16/05: My vehicle was struck by lightning and the shop (Brian at Mid-states) has now started claiming that various items that are broken are now related to .old age. and not the electrical surge from the lightning. This makes no sense because the things that are broken are all electrical. The cooling fan which is tied directly into the A/C is broken as is the A/C, the automatic headlights are also shot.
The A/C was recently noticed when it got warmer out last week. I found out today that the A/C is directly linked to the cooling fan on the vehicle. The odds of the A/C going bad at the same time as the cooling fan are slim. The odds of an electrical surge from lightning causing the damage is pretty good.
Here.s some information on the car and the insurance company/auto shop.s handling of it:
http://www.aviary.info/cardamage I need to have this looked at again. I paid $260+ to have someone open the car to diagnose several issues I was having trouble with and only got responses to two of those. The car was struck by lightning almost a year ago. Since then it.s been in the shop about 5 times, 4 of them at your location. When I finally got the car back the 3rd time, I had a transmission issue that wasn.t there before. Well I paid $1400 to have that fixed and then I noticed I still had other problems. By the time I got Brian on the phone again and brought it in, they evidently decided that it was old age. I don.t know if it.s because Brian is being intimidated by Geico or not but it.s ridiculous to think that these ELECTRICAL problems are not caused by the lightning. This isn.t a case of, well it WAS working and now it.s not. It.s a case of I never had the car to see what was broken or not until recently and these things ARE NOT WORKING. They didn.t go bad over time, they didn.t go bad at different times. they all went bad AT THE SAME TIME.
To top it all off, Midstates has never even mentioned the body damage. I knew of two locations that had physical damage. The grill and the driver.s door. I had the grille fixed at the first shop that looked at the car (the R&D shop in Stuart who eventually brought it to Mid-states). The driver.s door wasn.t a big deal to me because I was sick of dealing with you. Well I got the car back and actually drove it for a bit. I washed it off last week and found what looked like a stain on the back window. I tried washing it off and couldn.t. I then looked closer and found that it was electrical damage. The windshield, driver.s door and back window all have damage. You can see the damage on the photos on the page I listed. http://www.aviary.info/cardamage/hires.htm
Have someone contact me who cares what the general public thinks about your company.
I'm also trying to contact a couple of attorneys in my area. If you know of a good one, let me know. chad at aviary.info
May, 2005
Recently, I contacted someone at the National Lighnint Safety Institure and Richard Kithil, Jr., Founder and CEO took the time to respond to the photos I submitted. Here are his two replies and contact information, reprinted with his permission.
-----Original Message-----
From: Richard Kithil Jr.
Sent: Monday, May 16, 2005 6:52 PM
To: Kovac, Chad
Subject: Re: Car struck by lightning
We have two PhDs in electrical engineering, very
experienced with lightning issues, who both have
concluded lightning was the proximate cause of
damage to your car.
Let the insurance company submit their own
outside expert opinion and we will compare
-----Original Message-----
From: Richard Kithil Jr.
Sent: Tuesday, May 17, 2005 9:47 AM
To: Kovac, Chad
Subject: Re: Car struck by lightning
Electronics and associated wiring are often
damaged by lightning's high voltages. A
competent examiner should inspect each
component in the car. Yes, use our info.
and have insur. co. contact us if they wish.
See if insur. adjuster knows the term "lichtenberg
figure" as that is what is on your window glass.
Only lightning can create this pattern.
Richard Kithil, Jr., Founder & CEO
National Lightning Safety Institute
891 N. Hoover Ave., Louisville CO 80027
Email: rkithil (at) lightningsafety D0T com
Internet: www.lightningsafety.com
Tel. 303-666-8817; Fax 303-666-8786
A Non-Profit Agency Providing Objective
Information about Lightning Hazards.
New Global Lightning Safety Bulletin Board at:
May, 2005
Response from Mid-States Ford:
-----Original Message-----
From: Gary McKnight
Sent: Tuesday, May 17, 2005 12:26 PM
To: Richard Kithil
Cc: Kovac, Chad
Subject: CHAD KOVAC VEHICLE
The insurance claim guy came and saw the car this morning. He agreed that the body damage is lightning related and is going to communicate that to Geico.
I'm still screwed when it comes to the other issues on my vehicle.
Was this review helpful?
Read 7 Replies
Add reply
Review Link:
User Replies:
Close comments
Posted by IintheSky on 2005-05-18:
The good news is for yourself, as most people aren't exactly as disposable as a car, and not as easily fixed and/or replaced.
The bad news is the car. Three people in my family have been working in the automotive industry for most of our lives- over 100 years combined professional experience. After that type of experience- ie a lightening strike- the car might well be beyond practical repair.
Let me first state that basically any automobile is fixable, just depends on what ones insurance budget (or own budget) will allow. But when it comes to the computer and electrical systems in a car, these are usually some of the most expensive items in a car.
Sometimes- in order to replace a wiring harness, and any other electrical damage- it might even come to about the same as replacing the engine block. Yes it sounds (actually reads) a bit strange, but its true. An engine block replacement isn't all too much of a complicated procedure- because most professional mechancics have done at leat one- it's just the cost of the darn block that will get you every time.
As for electrical damage of this nature- its completely the opposite. A complete wiring harness isn't all that expensive, but when factored in with the labor it will cost many thousands- and is still not guaranteed of properly fixing the problem.
In conclusion, the car might be for all practical purposes gone. Make sure to hold to your guns (not literally please) with the insurance company. If they don't give you what you want go to the government regulatory agency above them (could anyone help me with their name??). Also if the car is being financed, make sure to express your problems with the place that is fanancing the car- they might actually be able to help you.
Best wishes on this one- luckily you weren't injured (or worse) in this event!!
Posted by Anonymous on 2005-05-19:
Nice helpful post biz. Google saves the day for you again. Biz, the "regular googlemeister".
Posted by Aember24 on 2005-05-21:
Ok well first you can not expect an insurance company to cover items that were damaged in the first place insurance companies call this padding your claim. Secondly if an adjuster has examined your car and has found that these items were not damage due to lightning than they do not have to cover them. This is not just Geico but any insurance company. Can you prove that these items messed up because of lightning? Where they melted,burned, etc....If you can provide solid proof that these items were ok prior to the accident than submit them to Geico for review and see what happens.
Posted by ChadK on 2005-05-25:
I can prove the damages were lightning and no, they weren't broken before the lightning. I know it would be insurance fraud and illegal to claim these things were lightning damage if they were not. I'm not trying to lie, steal or cheat Geico or Mid-States Ford in this matter, I just want what is rightfully broken, fixed.
By the way, it's not really GEICO that is at fault here, it's MID-STATES FORD in WAUKEE, IOWA. Avoid them. They're skills are lacking.
Posted by Shewalkslikesumr on 2005-06-07:
No wonder GEICO has so many ads. They need to keep new people coming in so they can scam new customers. I saw on some investment program on tv that a company who advertises contantly are ones that you don't want to invest in. I know I'm sick of the constant reminder of my experience, stop giving the lizard a bad name.
Posted by Shewalkslikesumr on 2005-06-07:
Aember24 wake up he DID SAY the adjuster said it was due to lightning. I'm sure some of these people work for the lizard. They flat out lied to me several times, I have it on paper - therefore they will lie about ANYTHING.
Posted by sanford31031 on 2005-06-09:
Well if that's the case, then you need not be insured if you believe that commercials imply anything. What insurance co doesn't advertise? I see a lot other than Geico.
Close comments
Add reply
Beware of GEICO "customer service".
Posted by Doc J on 05/16/2006
IOWA -- GEICO wrote and billed us for an insurance policy we did not want. We recently moved to a new state. We insured our two vehicles with GEICO in a decision partially based on their assurances of low premiums and "superior" customer service. We live very close to our worksites and elected to temporarily store one of our cars (a classic that is seldom driven anyway) with a relative in another state.
I properly updated our policy, triggering a "third-degree" treatment by GEICO. GEICO demanded personal (driving record, etc.)information about the relative who's involvement was to simply permit us to temporarily store our un-driven vehicle in a safe location. We were treated like uninsurable scum. When we declined to provide the relative's personal information, GEICO simply wrote a duplicate policy and billed us. We were not given an opportunity to decline or review the proposed coverage. The policy was simply written and billed. GEICO's action appeared to be retaliatory "If you don't provide information we want, when we want it, you'll be put in a position where it'll cost you dearly."
E-mail to the GEICO underwriter issuing the policy demanding its cancellation was not answered. I demanded, and was never provided with, the name of someone in management to whom I could complain about their staff writing a policy and billing for it without giving consumers an opportunity to review, accept, or decline a policy. Finally, I received an e-mail instructing me that the policy could only be cancelled with a telephone call...intended to be a GEICO opportunity to badger or instill fear into the consumer in a design to retain unhappy customers. When I finally reached a human to cancel the policy, the customer service representative attempted to reference an unrelated policy and began to lecture me about the consequences of "leaving the vehicle uninsured". The matter has been referred to our state insurance commission and to the Consumer Protection Division of our state Attorney General.
We believe the GEICO employee retaliated by writing a duplicate policy when only a short-term storage rider was indicated. If such coverage is not available, a simple e-mail from GEICO stating so would have been appropriate. Instead, it appears they simply attempted to double their income by writing a full policy (including emergency road service coverage!!!) for a vehicle in storage.
Because it appears GEICO's customer service reacts with a cold-blooded, primitive brain...perhaps the lizard mascot is appropriate. I can only imagine the nightmare of having them handle a claim.
Was this review helpful?
Read 27 Replies
Add reply
Review Link:
User Replies:
Close comments
Posted by Hugh_Jorgen on 2006-05-16:
You claim this car is a classic and you want to leave it with a third party in another state - out of your direct control. GEICO wanted information on where this car was going to be and who was going to have control of it - not an unreasonable request. As far as the unrequested policy - simply refuse to pay for it - they will cancel it right away. GEICO consistantly ranks at the top of consumer satisfaction surveys - I am surprised you didn't receive better service.
Posted by Anonymous on 2006-05-16:
Was the secretary helpful?
Posted by Doc J on 2006-05-16:
At their face Hugh's comments appear well-reasoned. However, with nearly 40 years as an insurance consumer and, over the years, having exactly the same conditions applied to other policies counters that GEICO was being reasonable. We have stored other vehicles while we were overseas. An insured is obligated to provide information about the insurability of any vehicle. In a case where the vehicle is not operated by, or accessable to, the 3rd party, an inquiry as to whether the vehicle would be insured by the storing party (name and policy number) is entirely reasonable and appropriate. In this case, intrusive personal questions were not. GEICO may operate under whatever guidelines they wish. Disagreeing consumers may vote with their feet (and voice dissent in arenas like My3cents.com. Consumers have been conditioned to provide far too much information to organizations because they simply demand it. GEICO elected not to explain their need for extensive information and simply duplicated the policy. As for Hugh's advice to simply not pay for the unwanted policy without cancelling it... Based on the posted comments of other dissatisfied GEICO consumers, if I were to simply not pay for the unwanted policy, GEICO may have initiated a collections action against me. While I would have ultimately won that war, fighting the battles would be time consuming and would have temporarily, adversely affected my creditworthiness. Because nonpayment may result in a collections action, Hugh's advice to simply not pay a disputed bill (of any kind) should not be heeded. His advice, while well intentioned, is not an appropriate response to a disputed bill. Consumers should instead be guided by their rights and responsibilities under the Fair Credit Reporting Act rather than on assurances that a company may, or may not, have a reputation for high ratings in customer service.
Posted by rhondam718732 on 2006-05-16:
Sounds like a COMPLETE overeaction on your part. GEICO requested info on the relative housing your car because it's their obligation to do so! When you take out a policy, insurance companies ask about ALL household members for a reson. You may not ever expect your 15 yr old teenager to sneak your car out for a wild ride, but that companies want to know it's a remote possibility. They cover their asses...as they should. So wanting info on the person housing your car is REASONABLE by far. Get with it...what info were they requesting that was so private?? Get over it.
Posted by Doc J on 2006-05-16:
PirateWithParrot...Complaint is churning through the system. In my experience, results vary extensively between the states...depending on the quality and aggressiveness of the AG. Same with insurance commissions.
Posted by Anonymous on 2006-05-16:
Asking you if you want a short-term storage rider is like asking you if you want free pie and chips. Of course you want free pie and chips. It's pie, with chips, for free! How's your mum?
Posted by Doc J on 2006-05-16:
The key point is; How "reasonable" is their request? Perhaps you missed that I had previous experience with other carriers with the same situation. In trying to save a few bucks, I gave up quality customer service by retaining a cut-rate company like GEICO. As an advocate of divulging everything, you are, of course, free to divulge whatever personal information you like, to whomever you want, and for whatever purpose the demanding party states. As to a "complete" overreaction by me. Kindly look inward...my posts do not contain expletives or read like a frothing rant. Your pro "You must give up privacy for any purpose deemed reasonable by an insurer." post suggests you may be a GEICO, or insurance industry, lurker. I wish you well.
Posted by Anonymous on 2006-05-16:
It would be interesting if somebody could post a valid reason why Geico required the information. If a car I own is not declared on a liability policy and I or somebody else gets into a wreck would the insurer be liable to pay the claims?
Posted by Doc J on 2006-05-16:
You hit the essence of the issue! Bravo. Why offer to give me "free pie and chips" (i.e. a $60 rider policy) knowing that I would likely accept them. My situation provided an opportunity for GEICO to upsell the policy from a $60 rider to a $280 full policy (No free pie and chips. Rather, sell a seven-course meal.). They took the easier, and more profitable, road in writing a new policy. And...
Mum is out on a pub crawl with her mates.
Posted by Hugh_Jorgen on 2006-05-16:
Doc got my point exactly - it's not unreasonable for them to want to know where the car is and who will have control of it. You might be leaving it with someone that has a tendency to get liquored up and drive at high speeds and they just happen to have seven DUI's on their record. They would like to know that in advance. Even though they might only be carrying minimum coverage, they know enough to realize if it gets driven and wrecked, chances are good they are going to get sued along with everyone else (see "deep pockets theory").
Posted by Doc J on 2006-05-16:
Stew...You comprehend something GEICO staffers could not. A loss caused by an undeclared driver would not be covered. To enforce coverage, an owner may be obligated to file a criminal complaint of unlawful use (or similar) against the unauthorized driver. A failure to do so may suggest shared negligence by the owner and can be relied upon by the insurer to deny or limit benefits. I raised the same question you posed to GEICO...no response...they just an issued duplicate policy. Easy, but wrong. All best.
Posted by Doc J on 2006-05-16:
Exactly Hugh. The basis of the dispute was whether GEICO was being "reasonable" with regard to their demands. My experience with other companies indicated they were not. Someone without the benefit of that experience may believe the demand by GEICO to be reasonable. It was the ultimate, reflexive response by GEICO that triggered our ire. They simply issued a policy and billed for it, rather than either explaining their need for the information or allowing us to decide if we desired another full policy (With emergency road service for a stored car?). There is no "free lunch". When you seek to save money by going cut-rate, expect to give up something. In exchange for low rates, GEICO skimps on customer service. This also appears to be the well-aimed point of TheNewSheriff.
As a side-bar to my comments that simply not paying the bill could be disasterous...a black mark against me by GEICO for an action of "cancellation due to non-payment of premiums" would not only affect my credit rating. It would also affect my ability to obtain future insurance. Bottom line...pay a bill...or contest it in writing. Never ignore them. Regards!
Posted by batzion7 on 2006-05-17:
Oy Vey Doc....I see your point...Are you over 50? Member of AARP? If so check out AARP auto ins. ( ours is with Travelers) We got a fantastic rate and they are very professional. I am most happy with it. Blessings
Posted by Doc J on 2006-05-17:
Batzion7-Thanks. Will look into AARP as I, sadly, qualify. I think their carrier is The Hartfort, no? Had great experience with them some years back. But, tried to save $$$ by going cut-rate and recklessly abandoning the caveat emptor of business. Shalom um l'hitraot!
Posted by batzion7 on 2006-05-17:
DocJ ...yes it is Hartford.....I have my house with Travelers....I have a bad case of CRS...Can't remember stuff. LOL Blessings
Posted by beanbagbritches on 2006-05-18:
Yes, GEICO was obligated to ask you for information on the 3rd party. They have no way of knowing if that person has access to the keys. You DON'T have to pay for coverage you're not happy with. Just refuse pymt & get covered elsewhere. However, definitely give the 3rd party info to the new carrier.
Posted by Doc J on 2006-05-18:
New developments on this. Will go into full detail soon. Long day, tired, and needing sleep. For those who can't wait, I'll sum up...do not go to a discount store expecting Nieman-Marcus service. Caveat emptor!!
Posted by Doc J on 2006-05-19:
LOL about beanbag's advice. It was the intrusive nature of the carrier's demand for info that started the mess. I could have stayed with GEICO. In her defense, Beans may not have read the entire post and attached comments. I already obtained quotes from 4 companies about coverage for the stored vehicle...with no questions about the third party beyond the location, stored indoors/outdoors, or if my 3rd party provides any coverage for the stored vehicle (if so, name and address of company). Every agent so far said no need for personal info...if the third party operates the vehicle...no coverage for me in any incident and I'd be SOL...as is right. Since the incident, I spoke with my third party...they specifically instructed me that I have no permission to divulge information about them. Beans...the info belongs to the third party. It would be wrong to violate their wishes. Beans sounds likeable and I'd love to trust her, but cannot. More on this later.
Posted by Doc J on 2006-05-19:
Issue resolved. Had extremely pleasant conversation with GEICO's Internet Customer Service Supervisor. The man spoke like a well-trained insurance agent (unlike GEICO's first level customer service contacts who are typical "call center chimps" having limited authority and less insurance knowledge...they only get paid about $8/hr for their efforts.). Re-read the post and comments. Our complaint: GEICO issued a policy and billed for it without advising us this was their only available option in our circumstances. The situation was analogous to going to a doctor for an appendectomy and waking up with a bilateral hip replacement. The supervisor agreed with the analogy. Supervisor stated he knew other companies can provide storage policies or riders, GEICO does not. According to the supervisor, "GEICO involved employees acted entirely within company policy." I agree. But, if "company policy" was to mail policyholders their insurance documents rolled in feces, would the company's policy be acceptable to consumers? The entire complaint could have been avoided if GEICO merely sent a short e-mail telling us that their service options were limited to writing a duplicate policy. According to the supervisor, "We don't have that capability." He did agree that doing so would be "consistent with better customer service", but repeated that doing so "is not within the capabilities of our Internet Customer Service". I inquired if GEICO had e-mail capabilities. "Yes, but specific responses are not within our capabilities." In essence part of the premium savings garnered in buying cut-rate Internet serviced insurance (like GEICO...and others) is a trade for accepting a lesser level of customer service. Customer service is vital for insurance consumers, particuarly if it involves a claim. Thankfully, we found GEICO does not offer a care level we had learned to expect from our previous insurer before we had a claim. Part of the premium savings by going with GEICO comes from GEICO "not having the capability" to provide the same level of customer care as does a full service agent. GEICO may be able to provide cookie cutter insurance. This may be adequate for many consumers, not all. If your needs are very minimal and your customer service expectations are equally minimal (i.e. you just need insurance to be in DMV compliance) you can go on the cheap with GEICO and pray you never have a claim. I can only imagine GEICO's limited capabilities with claim handling! With a claim, you want to be able to sit across a desk from your agent's smiling face. Would you get an appendectomy from an Internet doctor? Buying insurance from GEICO via the Internet and expecting good customer service is like booking a wedding reception at "Duke's Hot Dog Emporium" and expecting steak and a maitre-d'. It is virtually thus with all Internet commerce. Thanks to all who contributed advice.
Posted by glc on 2006-05-21:
Doc..I'm glad that you got this resolved. I do have one question (as a concerned GEICO policyholder for many years), where exactly, did you obtain the information that the "call center chimps" (I found that a bit crude) make $8 per hour?
Posted by lgt106 on 2006-05-21:
As an insurance agent, I can say that you are way off base. First of all, you have to have care custody and control of something to insure it. So if you are leaving your vehicle somewhere that you are not, then your insurance company has the right to know. 2nd if that is a risk that your company is going to accept to insure that vehicle and someone drives it, they will pay the claim even if they have not gathered the appropriate premium for other's that may have access to the vehicle. 3rd, how can you ask a company to say that they will pay at times up to a million dollars on your behalf for a car accident and get mad when they are asking for information to try to determine what type of risk is involved.
Posted by Doc J on 2006-05-22:
lgt-I'll be as gentle as possible. For an "insurance agent" you appear a little dim with regard to liability. Otherwise, you would understand that vehicle is covered only if stored and, in doing so, I am not insuring it for liability (the policy specifically excludes all losses due to the vehicle being in operation). Coverage is effective for losses where the vehicle is damaged or stolen at the place it is stored. Thankfully, my agent understands this. If the vehicle is operated, under the storage policy, the operator is liable. I am liable if the vehicle is operated with my permission or if I am negligent in leaving it under conditions where it is an "attractive nuisance" and somebody is able to gain access to it and drive it. It is locked, I have the only keys, and it is secured inside a building.
Posted by Doc J on 2006-05-22:
glc-If you've been a GEICO policyholder for many years and you are happy with their level of "care", Mazal Tov. I have no experience with their "live" agents and will not comment on them. However, Do NOT try managing your insurance via the internet. As for being "crude"...based on my experience with their call center staffers, my characterization of them as "call center chimps" would only be seen as crude because it offends chimpanzees or other lower primates. All best.
Posted by glc on 2006-05-22:
Shalom, Doc J. In all honesty, I have never "managed" my GEICO policies via the Internet, I have only utilized the insurance counselors telephonically, and I have found them to be caring and very knowledgeable about insurance laws in NY, where I reside. I take back the "crude" remark, as I am sure that you did not mean to disrespect any chimps! Peace.
Posted by Doc J on 2006-05-23:
Thanks glc. I think they can handle the "basic" or "routine". Just don't ask them to think through complex issues. They don't have the knowledge base or the ability to spend time with you. I sincerely believe it takes a live, experienced agent for that. Consider this, would you go to the Internet or use a call center with questions about a life or death health issue? Or, would you go sit in front of your family physician? Something as important as insurance deserves the same consideration. Regards.
Posted by Grandpap on 2008-04-24:
GEICO ripped me off too. I paid for an extended warranty on my car for years, but they used a loop hole to get out of paying when my rotars got warped. The fine print states that if an "uncovered" part causes a "covered" part to be damaged, they don't pay. Well guess what? Almost every covered part can be blamed on an uncovered part - GEIOC's extended warranty program is a rip off!!!
Posted by djmillar1 on 2012-12-02:
To answer in regard to a claim with Geico- they are worse. Their policy holder 100% @ fault, sited by law enforcement for vehicle code violation. Geico's investigation was attempt how to put 35% liability on me. I had to dictate to them 1)contact my mechanic shop to authorize repairs, 2) provide a rental while I have no vehicle (that took 30 days to get), 3) cut the check to pay for parts & repairs, 4) contact rental company authorizing the return date so I could get my deposit for the rental back, as that is part of my SSI/SSD income. Still haven't settled on the injury portion yet, so still have the finale left to complete.
Close comments
Add reply
Posted by Shewalkslikesumr on 06/07/2005
KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI -- I am on disability and used my money I got to buy myself a van. I bought full coverage online, but could not find the original policy. So, when I got in the first car wreck I've ever had - I called GEICO my insurance company in Kansas City, Missouri. I did have my insurance card which I presented to the police. GEICO would not tell me anything that day. I kept asking them, "I'm fully covered right?" They would not even ANSWER my question. They just CONTINUED to pound away with the questions about the accident. Then the people who were involved in the wreck were coming to my house and asking me what is going on with your insurance company, "we are prepared to sue," was left on my cell phone by the other driver. Several calls came to my house and cell phone from the other driver as they were getting tired of waiting around on GEICO. Then they told me to go get a police report at the police station, there I ran into the driver of the other car who hit me. He was angry because he had not heard anything about getting this settled. THEN, GEICO told me I only had LIABILITY coverage! They said when I called them to put my daughters car on the policy that I changed my van to liability coverage also!! WELL THAT WAS A LIE!! Jamie at GEICO told me that I had to PROVE it. I should of NEVER had told them that "I could not find the policy." Because I did tell them that. Also, I did not find the policy for quite some time, a few months probably. THEN I FOUND IT!! It was on my boyfriend computer. ALSO, I found an email they sent me saying that I" NEVER HAD FULL COVERAGE ON EITHER CAR."(!!) Since that CAN BE PROVEN in a court of law, I have both documents they should pay me for my van AND for the year of no vehicle. I have doctors appointments, spinal injections, shopping and No vehicle. I called them on this point. NOW, the guy just sits there on the phone - they wait for you to talk to see what else they can come up with. I explained this WHOLE thing over to him when I should of just stayed with an attorney which I didn't want to do because at that time I couldn't find the policy. Well, I made the mistake of telling him that when I had missed a payment my boyfriend picked up the payment and did pay. So, when I contacted the insurance commission all they wanted to concentrate on was that payment was missed. My boyfriend immediately helps me if I need money. However, they didn't mention his payment!! So, the commission didn't rule in my favor as they had no PROOF. They said the details weren't clear and I would have to get a lawyer, which I'm doing today. I would never put liability on a van in which I waited years to get and was the nicest vehicle I have ever owned, and is, WAS the only thing I had. I am going to write EVERY consumer agency, newspaper, and person who has dealt with GEICO and get the word out. My father had power of attorney over my sister and she went to the PEACE CORPS and no longer had her car. The car was here in the US. They would not allow him to cancel the policy even though he had all the documentation, her signature, everything. I think I'll have him post here also.
Was this review helpful?
Read 8 Replies
Add reply
Review Link:
User Replies:
Close comments
Posted by dvsmadcow on 2005-06-07:
To the poster, before I start my advice, I want you to know that I was a licensed agent for GEICO for nearly five years (I know how they operate) so I am speaking with a little authority on how they work. If you see anything from someone named sanford or jodieu, she works for GEICO (currently) and can also assist.
If you ever come back and read this post please respond to these questions:
1.) you said that you had "full coverage," does this mean that you carried comprehensive and collision coverages? I'm not trying to belittle you here, "full coverage" means something different to everyone.
2.) You stated that you had found the information about your policy on your boyfriend's computer, did you find that you had collision coverage on your vehicle on the date of the accident? If you did, DON'T GO TO AN ATTORNEY, GEICO has nothing to fight...THEY HAVE TO PAY YOUR CLAIM NO IFS ANDS OR BUTS!!! If the coverage was in place at the time of the wreck, GEICO will HAVE to cover the claim. If, however, there was a break in your coverage ( for any reason ) your claim will be denied. If your coverage was in force at the time of the wreck then present this evidence to a supervisor or manager (hell, even ask for the area vice-pres (everyone has a boss (remember that!))) and let the adjuster do their jobs. If GEICO wishes to drag their feet, CALL A LAWYER.
3.) I understand your frustrations, seriously, but the one thing to keep in mind is that when you call into GEICO you are calling into a call center where the reps hear everything under the sun, but when legit proof is provided, you will see the professionalism and hard work that the agents will display in getting your situation resolved. Just relax, answer the questions, provide the proof, and you will be helped. I can tell by your tone in the post you're pissed, but blasting the people that try to help you won't get you anything but a migrane. If you wish for further help, post to my blog and get me the specifics and I will try to get you the name of a supervisor that could help you out.
Posted by sanford31031 on 2005-06-09:
It's simple. If you had "full coverage" then there is no argument here. We send out policies every 6 months and everytime you make a change, so if any coverages were changed, you'll have it.
Posted by Shewalkslikesumr on 2005-06-10:
Welcome to GEICO Indemnity.
Your binder number is: 4015420344. Your 6 month premium is $724.40
Insured: Tracy Tooley of kansas city MO 64114
Coverage is effective as of 12:01 a.m. MO local time on: 05/07/2004
Vehicle Covered Vehicle Identification Number
1998 Dodge Caravan 2b4fp25b2wr703607
The following coverages will be provided for the premiums shown:
Type of Coverage Coverage Limits 1998 Dodge Caravan
Bodily Injury Liability(BI)
$25,000 / $50,000
Property Damage Liability(PD)
Medical Payments(MED)
Uninsured Motorist Bodily Injury
$25,000 / $50,000
not provided
$500 deductible
Emergency Road Service(ERS)
not provided
Rental Reimbursement(RR)
not provided
Please reference this number if you contact us: 81676998940000
Yes, I had collision as you see with the 500 dollar deductible. There are other details in my favor but I will not post everything here. I DO have an attorney and will not put up with GEICO anymore. I suspect that some who post work for GEICO now. What they have done (I'm not an attorney) seems like fraud to me. As you do not have all the details, they take any information they get and twist it. It won't work because everything is on paper. If they ARE reading this, the payment from VISA WAS posted. My boyfriend saw it on the computer. VISA just told us that because something is posted doesn't necessarily mean that the payment is accepted. THE CARD IS AND WAS GOOD. YES I am pissed and why would I want to fool with GEICO EVER AGAIN?
Posted by dvsmadcow on 2005-06-10:
tracey, when did your policy cancel, before or after the wreck? from the way you blew up about your boyfriend's cc, I would have to say that your policy cancelled for non-payment. as i mentioned in my response to your post, if your policy was cancelled at the time of the wreck then you are wasting time and money (regardless of what you presented on this response regarding your coverages). I am a former agent that worked at GEICO, yes, but I'm not trying to tow their line right now, I'm telling you like ANY intelligent agent would tell you (no matter which company he/ she worked for). My experience is telling me, and correct me if I'm wrong, you hit someone (you were at fault) and GEICO came back to tell you that your policy had lapsed (been cancelled)...long story short, they have tried or are trying to deny the claim, is this anywhere near what's going on? As you said, I don't have all the pertinent facts and I'm just going on the four and a half years experience I had listening to customers try any and everything to get out of coughing up the money they owed. Anyways, I just wanted to let you know that there is a lot more going on behind the scenes of that you don't know about such as researching the relevant facts as given by the other driver, making certain that the other driver and all passengers' medical bills are covered (up to your policy limits), inspecting the damage of both vehicles, etc. and these issues take time to resolve (admittedly, one year is a bit too much time). Contrary to some of the posts that you will undoubtedly read about how crappy GEICO is as an insurance company, or those directed at myself or sanford, I will close now with these helpful hints:
1.) when you secure insurance again, PLEASE increase your PD limits to at least $50k because if you were in a major multi-car wreck, that $10k you had to cover other people's cars is not going to pay for anything (it's also a lot cheaper than you think).
2.) Judging by what you said about VISA I can surmise that they are saying that they are confirming what GEICO had advised about the monthly payment not being paid. If your boyfriend saw the payment on the computer, contact VISA and ask them to send a reconcilliation of the account for the past year (They should be able to do this) so you and your boyfriend can dissect every transaction.
3.) If you have it, provide the confirmation number (with cc payments it's always the authorization number) you got when you made the payment. By providing this number, you can prove the payment was made and then Geico will have to reinstate the policy back to the date of the termination....in other words, you will be covered.
Posted by Shewalkslikesumr on 2005-06-10:
I wonder why you are saying I blew up about cc. The first issue GEICO presented me with and stuck with for many months is that I switched my coverage to liability which I did not. No, I'm not real happy after almost a year now. After I told them I couldn't find my policy I did online they came up with this downright lie. They come up with this payment issue much later, after I had found the policy and I had mentioned the cc to them. At that time I wasn't blowing up because I had been told by a woman if you read my post, that a mistake had been made and both my van and my daughters car had been put on liability on accident. So, I thought at the time I just had to explain this whole thing over again as this guy didn't seem to know what I was talking about or was seeing if I stuck with my story. The policy was cancelled after, which my van was totalled anyway. However, my daughters car was still on it. I received NO cancellation notice prior for nonpayment. Now the visa card, the payment was posted as in he called in and made the payment available to GEICO and they did not take the payment. The policy was still in effect, if not then I suppose they wouldn't have recognized the policy period - if it had been cancelled, but it had not been. Whos fault? As I state before, someone hit me. Some 20 year old that had been in 9 wrecks, in fact he told me his mother had been in an accident at the same intersection he said. I was in an intersection on a busy traffic day in a school zone waiting on a car to turn right when the light turned yellow as I was waiting. I was making a left hand turn. I went for my turn and a car went through the light and hit me on the right side of my van, totalling it and pushing me to hit another car that was stopped at the opposite light. The girl at that light told me that the guy had ran the light. I was so shook up as I had never been in an accident. However, the guy behind me said it was my fault and that I turned in front of the guy. Well, my light was definately getting ready to turn red and I wanted to get out of intersection and thought it was clear. I think this kid had to be speeding and don't know if he was charged with that, but he totalled my car, damaged his own (maybe totalled it, I don't know), and also made me hit another car. The woman in the backseat of his car went to hospital and was bleeding all over the place. A baby also went to hospital that was in the car I hit. The mother of that baby (whose car I hit) said it was hit fault. She was sitting still. The intersection is a BAD intersection and there are wrecks there all the time. It is hard to see around cars and there is no arrow. 3 teens were killed there recently. So anyway, GEICO told me the girl that was on my side, changed her story. Maybe she did because she thought I had no insurance. I don't know. I don't trust GEICO so I don't know what the deal was with her. But she told me in front of witnesses as she was the best one to see the wreck that the kid ran a red light. She was trying to tell the police to write that down but he was being rude, even the tow truck driver commented on it and did not write what she said down. Now, she had no insurance I think. GEICO told me they paid out medical bills to the other drivers people in their car. It is not a valid way to do business. To have one argument against me of never having anything but liability and then when I prove otherwise to make up a payment issue. My belief was that I was covered and since GEICO would give me no answers at the accident, which should be against the law - the tow truck driver was never paid, nor was the storage of the van as they waited for their decision. A school bus backed into me one time and their was no problem. I think it was Prudential, can't remember. But, I was paid, THE NEXT DAY for damages. We are handling Visa, GEICO needs to give an explanation as to why they didn't take the payment that was made available to them. It was phoned in, maybe another mistake. It was in a different name than the policy however he told them that over the phone which is why it was posted to the account. Visa has been very helpful. I don't know what GEICOs problems are, but mistakes have been made on their behalf and they need to stop spending so much on commercials and a little more on their current clients.
Posted by Drillsergeant on 2006-06-29:
The moral of the story is ask questions don't give answers. Let them dig a bigger GEICO hole. I will have to relay this to my wife and ride out the next 3 months and CANCEL.
That's is thay let me cancel I see they have problems in that area too. Holding customers hostage.
Posted by Shewalkslikesumr on 2006-07-08:
I also would like to tell you all that I asked KEN KITCHENS from GEICO to send me a copy of my ammendement policy. My policy was ammended as I added my daughters car to the policy. I recieved the ammendment and remember seeing that it looked like they had removed the van's coverage and put it on liability as well. I remember writing directly on the paper that I signed that my van is supposed to be carrying full coverage and that the car only was to be on liability. I talked to KEN who refuses to send me a copy of my ammendment to me, and actually sent me over to the "training" dept or something to that effect. He said we have already been over this and will not send! He knows what is on there and what I wrote I suppose. I did not sign on the line. I signed to the side under my notations. I think I will call Ken everyday now. Do I have to get a subpoena to get that document. Yes, I should of kept a copy.
Posted by Scootis on 2008-01-06:
I would be intersted to know how you made out with Geico. Its been over a year since your last post, I hope that you resolved it by now. If you used a lawyer in KC, please advise as to whom and also your results.
Close comments
Add reply
Posted by Rgbegani on 01/28/2004
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS -- Before reading this remember that I have not had a single moving violation for over 6 years. Geico is a company of theives. I don't blame the wage slaves that have to give the company line, but the company is crap. With full coverage I have been the victim of two accidents where witnesses and absolute proof has been provided of the other drivers fault. It has been 2 years and neither of my deductibles has been returned in either case. No-one will return calls or has any idea of why I would want $1000 dollars back. my rates did not increase at the next renewal then but they will not explain what has happened to the deductibles. one year later I am on the interstate and the semi I am passing kicks a metal peice under my car at 70mph. After yet another deductible and Geico only had to pay out $150 in repairs.fine. but now when renewing my insurance my bill has been doubled! appparently this $150 dollar claim was a "accident where I am entirely at fault". according to Geico this peice of road debris thrown at me by another driver I "willfully hit" the debris and they have reported me as having been at entire fault in an accident. These theives and Liars have taken more than a thousand dollars from me and are now reporting me as a accident causing driver, jacking up my rates because I used the insurance I have been paying for. My rates are now double over 1 peice of metal on the road which as far as I am concerned is an act of god or a "True accident". which by the way they only paid out $150. You Monkeys from geico disputing the poor service should be dragged into the street. We swear and curse at you for good reasons, We do not have the time to spend 1-2hours on these calls. We do not need to call our lawyers to make statements over claims. I want my $1000 dollars back and a removal of any fault in a road debris accident. These Monkeys have made my drivers rating worse with other carriers as well
Was this review helpful?
Read 8 Replies
Add reply
Review Link:
User Replies:
Close comments
Posted by bill on 2004-01-28:
Your complaint makes no sense. You say you want your deductable back, but Geico doesn't have your deductable. Your deductable was paid by you to whoever fixed your car and Geico paid the rest of the bill.
Posted by jodieu on 2004-01-28:
It's obvious you have no clue. You will always be surcharged on your insurance policy if a claim is filed under collision. If you read your contract and can comprehend it, you will see that hitting an object in the road falls under collision. Tough luck, but that is how it works. Don't blame Geico for your sucky driving record.....
Posted by rgbegani on 2004-01-28:
Hey guys:
My driving record is clean, please read the first sentence. Secondly deductibles are to be returned by the carrier, in my case uninsured coverage (to be returned by carrier) the second accident paid by other insurance (my money never returned). Last I wish to say I described how another vehicle put this hazard under my car and how I did not want this to affect me in any negative way. Geico stuck me with the "accident" and that is why have suggested passing all reports through laywers-Geico is not on your side when they can make a buck.
Posted by dvsmadcow on 2004-01-31:
obviously sir, you are, as most of america is,absolutely clueless about how insurance works! as the previous person stated, your deductible won't be coming back to you because it was used to fix your car and then geico did what it was contractually obligated to do....FIX YOUR CAR!!
Posted by geicogerry on 2004-02-02:
The reason you haven't gotten your deductible back is because Geico hasn't gotten it from the person that hit you. You see Geico pays out under your collision coverage and then sues the other person or other company for the deductible. If Geico does not recover then neither do you.
Posted by melissa.messner.ni1q on 2004-03-31:
Take matters into your own hands and obtain a copy of the police reports. Then, contact the other driver's insurance company YOURSELF and they should refund your deductible to you. Tell them you are filing a mini-tort claim, they'll take your information, and if the other driver carries that coverage, then you'll receive your deductible. Obviously Geico doesn't feel they need to do this for you, so you'll have to take matters into your own hands. I work for State Farm, and I file these claims on behalf of my clients, but not all agents follow the same policy. If filing the claim with the other driver's insurance company doesn't work, you may have to resort to suing the other drivers in small claims court. Good luck.
Posted by PeskyKittyButt on 2004-07-08:
First of all, the more claims you have, the more risk you are so your rate goes up. Second of all, a DEDUCTIBLE is not reimbursed. Not ever, no never. This is the part of your insurance claim that YOU pay before your insurance takes over the rest. The higher the deductible, the lower your insurance rate. Maybe it's time you take a class about car insurance, or better yet, work in a car insurance call center & deal with morons like yourself.
Posted by Aember24 on 2004-09-06:
ok this post is so bogus its pathetic first of all you were not "hit" with debris if it wrecked the underneath the vehicle which means you had to "run" it over which makes you At-fault and secondly the reason your insurace went up after the second accident since you have been with geico for atleast six years and no accidents as you say sounds like you qualified for our accident forgivness program with our tenured policyholders with great driving records we will forgive the first accident they have that is why you did not see the increase for the first but you did for the second and you did not see an increase right away because Geico will not surcharge you in the middle of the premium so we are in no way thieves but yes you are paying for insurance but isnt it better to pay a small payment everymonth as opposed to coming up with thousands of dollars when an accident occurs?
Close comments
Add reply
Be careful, Geico doesn't exactly cover what they say they cover
Posted by Saira on 08/19/2007
NEW JERSEY -- I own a 2003 Camry that is fully covered by Geico. It was parked legally in front of my brother's neighbor. His neighbor didn't like that fact my car was parked in front of his house. He claims that that spot belong to him. It didn't as this is a public road.
He decided to move my car by using his pickup truck and he pushed the car 2 feet and damaged the front of my car. I saw this when I came out of my brothers house. Police came and found me at no fault and the other party confirmed that it is his fault. I called to file a claim.
Geico says, in order for them to go after the other insurance company, I have to pay my deductible. when I asked them where does it say on he policy that if I am not at fault, where does it say on my policy that I have to pay. They couldn't answer as it doesn't say any where. So people out there, please ask the right questions before you get an auto insurance from Geico. They are a rip off. I have a clean record. They see that also. But they say, I still have to pay them and they cannot guarantee if they can get the money back.
Was this review helpful?
Read 6 Replies
Add reply
Review Link:
User Replies:
Close comments
Posted by tnchuck100 on 2007-08-19:
Your deductible DOES apply in this case. You need to file a small claims case against the neighbor for the deductible amount plus court costs. With your police report you should be able prevail without any trouble. Since this was a DELIBERATE act on the part of the neighbor your might be able to ask for punitive damages as well.
Posted by CrazyRedHead on 2007-08-19:
The deductible even applies to situations cause by an act of god. Although I still don't understand it and it feels like I am paying for something caused by nature, it is in the policy.
Posted by spiderman2 on 2007-08-19:
The above advice is correct. You (meaning your insurance company) is going to have to go after this guy in small claims court. His insurance company has probably denied coverage for this accident due to the fact that it was a deliberate, unlawful act on his part.
Posted by GothicSmurf on 2007-08-19:
I used to be licensed to sell insurance in the state of Minnesota (I gave it up when I moved across country). You don't pay your deductable TO Geico, you pay it to the auto body shop where your car is fixed.
You Do have to pay it and your insurance company will go after the other party (subrogation) and your deductable WILL come back to you, but as Spiderman said, it won't come from the other parties insurance.
Your insurance company will have to take this guy to small claims court, or you may have to do it yourself.
It is, or should be, written in your contract with Geico. I used to get coverage questions all the time that were "common knowledge" to me, but would have to look it up on the policy when asked, Geico should ahve done that for you.
Good luck.
Posted by voice1 on 2008-01-27:
Very true crazyredhead. Policyholders do have the option of selecting the amount of their deductible. You pay a higher premium to have a lower deductible. Some companies even offer zero deductibles. Nobody reads their policy info until they need it for a claim unfortunately.
Posted by 3cents75224 on 2009-05-19:
You do have to pay a deductible if they're going to pay a claim when their insured was not at fault. You need to file with the guy that hit your car's insurance or pay the deductible and have GEICO go after him and they'll recover the deductible and refund it.
Close comments
Add reply
Added my son to policy without notification
Posted by Catpeeple on 01/21/2005
BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT -- In November of 2004, Geico decided to add my son to my insurance policy without my knowledge. I figured this is when my automatic deduction payment for December was $150.00 more then my regular payment!!! I called Geico up and asked them why they were charging me $150.00 more then my regular payment and they said that I had added my son to the policy. I told them that was impossible considering that he goes to college fulltime and lives there. And when not in school, he lives with his father. They told me that I need to prove that he lives at school and at his father. They also said that he got a ticket and the DMV notified them that he was liscensed but not insured. That is impossible considering that he had insurance through his work.
I faxed them documentation proving that he did not live with me. They then asked for proof that he was insured with another company. I then proceeded to fax them documentation proving that he wqas insured under his business and had a company car. I phoned them a gain and they said that that wasn't good ewnough and that he could still be driving my car.
After 8 years with Geico they would not work with me to rectify this and refused to remove him from the policy. No matter what proof I provided for them.
I am reporting them to the insurance commissioner and have no choice but to cancel my policy immediately. This seems to be common practice with Geico and I prefer to do business with a company that will not change my policy without authorization.
Was this review helpful?
Read 6 Replies
Add reply
Review Link:
User Replies:
Close comments
Posted by sanford31031 on 2005-01-21:
Imagine that!
Posted by TXRoadTrip on 2005-01-21:
Check with your DMV about that and the Attorney General for your State.
Posted by qtpi on 2005-01-22:
Yeah, I agree-something in this story doesn't add up.
Posted by DCGirl on 2005-02-16:
Good luck finding another company that has a different policy. The insurance industry has valid statistics showing that any driver in the household will drive anybody else's car despite all protestations to the contrary from the policy holder. You're going to find the same thing at other companies.
Posted by kitty076 on 2005-03-15:
Check under VA insurance law. A law commonly known as the "Omnibus Clause" gives the right to charge for any licensed drivers in the household without other insurance if they choose to. Also, the companies do not have to remove the added driver until proof is provided that they are not legally liable to, such as proof of coverage with another company or proof of residency showing they no longer live in the household. I wish I could tell you different, but they don't need your permission to add someone that lives with you.
Posted by af1656 on 2005-03-27:
somthing isnt adding up here, one, i work at geico, but ive never heard of us being contacted by the state and then putting someones child on the policy... What we do, do is when parents call for a "quote" to add their lic. child, we do add there child, due to they live in the household, and no matter what parents say "ill never let them drive... hes to responsible to get in an accident..." whatever the reason is, the child is going to drive the parents car no matter what the parents tell geico, and more then likley they will get in a car accident the first 2 years they are driving, and no matter if they are on the policy or not guess what geico whould have to pay that claim.... and that is one of the reasons insurance is so expenisive because people like you parents lie to save a couple bucks, but it costs everyone else and yourself in the long run...
Close comments
Add reply
GEICO Served My Family Very Well
Posted by KoolHandStu on 07/22/2010
I have used GEICO auto insurance for many years. Fortunately, I had never needed to file a claim until recently when my 30 year old son was involved in a moderately bad collision with a tree after sliding backwards on a newly stone chipped road. His 2006 Toyota Tacoma sustained damages in excess of $7000. By the grace of God neither he, nor his two passengers were seriously injured.
We contacted GEICO claims at approximately midnight on a Saturday night. The initial claims adjuster listened to all the details, was helpful in explaining the process and reassuring that we would be taken care of. It sounded real good but quite honestly, I was dubious after all, this was a claim and previous dealings with other insurance companies had been painful at times.
The first thing Monday morning we were contacted by the assigned field adjuster. He arranged to have the truck picked up from an inpound lot immediately and towed to the auto body shop of my choice. He authorized a rental vehicle immediately and my son was back on the road on Monday afternoon. He re-explained the process, estimated the damages the following day and authorized repairs. When hidden damages were discovered he re-authorized further repairs. When the repairs and body shop took longer than initially estimated, the adjuster continuously re-authorized extended use of the rental vehicle.
The entire claims process worked as well or better than I had been assured that it would. Frankly, this was a really pleasant surprise as there were no negative outcomes. Following the repairs, I was contacted by an independent company hired by GEICO to evaluate our claims experience. Obviously, I evaluated our GEICO claims experience as a 10 on a scale of 1 to 10 as it really was outstanding. I do not frequently post on this site and the one time I did a review, it was extremely negative. I feel out of fairness, I should do the same when I receive service and treatment way beyond my expectations.
For any and all of the skeptics reading this post, I assure you I am not affiliated with GEICO other than being a customer, This is absolutely the best insurance claim experience I have ever had.
Was this review helpful?
Read 3 Replies
Add reply
Review Link:
User Replies:
Close comments
Posted by saj80 on 2010-07-22:
Why is your 30 year old son still on your policy?
Posted by goduke on 2010-07-22:
Glad your son and passengers are o.k., and that things worked out well. Nice review!
Posted by KoolHandStu on 2010-07-23:
Saj80, My son who is on my auto insurance policy at the age of 30 is presently there due to the current state of the economy. Although he has been totally independant for many years, the economy is in a double dip recession and he, just like many others, is struggling to make ends meet.
Thanks so much for asking this very personal question. Your thoughtfulness is greatly appreciated. Have a nice day.
Close comments
Add reply
Geico Sucks
Posted by Washparkguy on 03/28/2007
DENVER, COLORADO -- I was recently covered by Geico and after I had an accident which Geico said I was not at fault and the other driver's insurance company AIG said we were both at fault, I was unable to collect any money from AIG. I only had liability at the time but since it wasn't my fault I thought GEICO would go to bat for me. WRONG!
All GEICO cares about is if they are going to be out any money. They basically told me I was on my own.
So I took the other person to small claims court and AIG provided her with a high priced attorney and I the judged ruled for the defendant.
Now I get a call from GEICO saying that AIG is now trying to recover damages-all of a sudden GEICO will actually return a phone call but still only interested in their own interests.
I just switched back to USAA.
I hope a snake eats that cute little giecko!!!
Was this review helpful?
Read 11 Replies
Add reply
Review Link:
User Replies:
Close comments
Posted by spiderman2 on 2007-03-28:
If you only had liability insurance on your car, then their only interest is what damage was done to the other vehicle. Your insurance covers damage to another person's vehicle, not yours. You can't have what you didn't pay for. Who is listed as operator #1 on the police report? That is typically the person who is at fault.
Posted by *Brenda* on 2007-03-28:
It's not just Geico buddy.
Posted by Sail27 on 2007-03-28:
Unfortunately that's what you get for liability only. They are there to protect you from getting sued - but to extract monies from the other party you must take action... Altho - one confusing point - you went to Small Claims Court and there was an attorney present? First time I heard of that - small claims is "for the people" and specifically bars any professional representation.
Posted by spiderman2 on 2007-03-28:
He did go to small claims court and the judge ruled for the other driver.
Posted by *Brenda* on 2007-03-29:
Sail, small claims is not just "for the people". Lawyers can go to small claims. One example is, let's say you hit another car. The person you hit uses their insurance because yours expired. That insurance company may send that claim to a subrogation department which will then send it to an attorney (probably after failed collection attempts). You will then be sued by that law firm on behalf of the insurance company and the insured. The lawyer will appear in court.
You may be thinking of the show "The People's Court" which does not allow attorneys.
Posted by voiceoff on 2007-04-05:
Can you appeal?
Posted by akhido on 2008-01-27:
my experience was much the same .. I had an accident where i was not at fault. I had witnesses and called Geico and they were like so what do you want us to do? I said well handle it and they said if we do you rates will go up so handle it yourself. Flabergasted i did handle it with his insurance AAA they were great and took care of it quickly. Got me a rental car. everything. 6 months later my renewal came in from Geico and they raised my insurance cost from $950 to $1850 per year. I signed with AAA and got auto and renters for just $1025. I hate all those Geico commercials with that little stinking Gecko with a passion. :-)
Posted by Anonymous on 2008-01-27:
My daughter also had an issue with Geico and canceled her policy. They must lose a lot of customers--that is after they initially pull you in with their "low" rates. Of course, I know a lot of other insurance companies do the same thing.
Posted by BAMAVCE on 2008-02-05:
Geico Sucks, ALLSTATE Rules! After a year with Geico, they doubled my rates for a speeding ticket, and are $1450 versus $950 for Allstate. Geckos are LIARS. Low cost insurer my ^&*&%^^%$
Posted by Anonymous on 2008-02-05:
It's the system I tell you, the system!
Posted by 3cents75224 on 2009-05-19:
Yeah. It is the system. If you carry liability only, they're only going to pay for liability regardless of who is at fault. You did not pay for coverage to YOUR vehicle...only everyone else's.
Close comments
Add reply
Next Page >
Top of Page
Next Page >
Consumer Resources
Company Responses
Site Rules
Terms & Conditions
Privacy Policy
Contact Us